Koné on the market as Premier League circles, Roma scouts replacements

Atalanta are preparing to tie down striker Gianluca Scamacca with a contract extension to 2030, after he remained with the Bergamo club despite Roma's interest this summer. Head coach Gasperini had wanted to reunite with Scamacca at Roma, where he could have filled the role of backup to Donyell Malen. Atalanta never seriously considered selling him, viewing him as a cornerstone of their attacking unit. The 26-year-old has established himself as essential to the Bergamo side's attacking plans. According to reports, Atalanta are now moving to protect their investment and secure his future by extending his current deal, with the new contract set to run until 2030.

Endrick has emerged as a target for Roma in the January transfer window, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini identifying the Brazilian forward as a suitable reinforcement for the attacking department. The player was close to joining Roma in the summer, but the move fell through because the 2006-born attacker was committed to proving himself at Real Madrid under Mourinho, who appeared ready to give him opportunities. With limited appearances so far this season, speculation over a potential departure has resurfaced. However, Endrick's representatives have moved to dampen the Roma interest. Alan Redmond, executive vice-president and Global Head of Football at Roc Nation Sports International, the agency representing the forward, has insisted the player remains focused on Madrid. There were multiple clubs from various countries interested in Endrick over the summer, but his determination has never wavered. Redmond said: "In the summer there were many clubs from different countries interested in him. His idea has always been to stay in Madrid. I am convinced that when he gets the opportunity he will score many goals. We will see what happens in the future, honestly I think he will stay at Real for a long time."

Endrick's next move remains unclear after the Brazilian forward failed to secure playing time at Real Madrid, despite José Mourinho blocking his summer move to Roma. With the January transfer window approaching, Roma have joined AC Milan and foreign clubs including Lyon and Aston Villa in pursuing the 2006-born striker. Roc Nation Sports International, the agency representing Endrick, signalled little likelihood of a departure. Alan Redmond, vice-president and Global Head of Football at the agency, said: "In summer there were many clubs from different countries interested in him. His idea has always been to stay in Madrid. I am convinced that when he gets the opportunity he will score many goals. We'll see what happens in the future, honestly I think he will stay at Real for a long time." Redmond added that Endrick had multiple suitors last summer but remained set on continuing in Spain.

Roma held Como to a draw despite playing most of the second half with ten men following Donyell Malen's red card, demonstrating the mental fortitude Gian Piero Gasperini demanded in a match that tested the squad's character. Pierluigi Gollini kept a clean sheet on his seasonal debut, while Marten de Roon marshalled the midfield with authority after Bryan Cristante's absence. The result—a point earned rather than lost—came at the cost of Malen's dismissal, which altered the tactical balance but unified Roma's resolve in the closing stages. The match unfolded as a tactical study between two sides that largely cancelled each other out for long stretches. Como pressed with intent, particularly through Nico Paz, but Roma's defensive line held firm. Gianluca Mancini recovered from an early lapse in concentration to anchor the back four alongside Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso, each marshalling their zones methodically. When Hermoso departed in the 59th minute, Leonardo Balerdi seamlessly continued the work. Gasperini's substitutions tightened Roma's shape as Como intensified their assault; the manager made tactical withdrawals to reinforce the rear guard and limit the damage once numerical disadvantage took hold. Wesley battled constantly against Diao on the flank, Nahuel Molina invested considerable energy in both directions, and Paulo Dybala demonstrated leadership by rolling up his sleeves after Malen's dismissal to shoulder the burden. Gollini was tested early—he produced a strong save on Nico Paz within seconds but erred on timing with a second attempt, though he recovered to deny Caqueret. Dybala arrived at Como intent on unsettling the hosts and delivered a crucial ball recovery that unlocked the home defence and set up a Lorenzo Pellegrini shot. Pellegrini himself took ten minutes to settle into the flow but soon began advancing play in Roma's traditional fashion. Manu Koné struggled with accuracy and picked up an avoidable yellow card, while Matías Soulé entered at half-time but collected a caution himself during defensive duties. Malen's dismissal stemmed from a fierce recovery that Gasperini felt may have warranted an earlier stoppage for a preceding foul. The manager himself was far from serene on the touchline, frequently remonstrating with refereeing decisions in a match neither official found straightforward. Roma travel to face José Mourinho's side next week.

Roma emerged from the Sinigaglia with a hard-fought 0–0 draw against Como, but the result came at a cost: Donyell Malen was sent off in the 53rd minute for a late challenge on Kaiki, forcing the visitors to defend the entire second half with ten men. The point keeps Gian Piero Gasperini's side in the upper reaches of the Serie A table, two points behind Inter. Roma fielded an unusually depleted lineup after the international break. Mile Svilar was sidelined by a stress fracture of the foot, with Pierluigi Gollini stepping in. At the back, Gianluca Mancini, Evan N'Dicka and Mario Hermoso formed the three-man defence, flanked by Wesley and Nahuel Molina. Bryan Cristante's absence meant Marten de Roon partnered Manu Koné in midfield. Paulo Dybala and Malen led the attack, with Lorenzo Pellegrini making his seasonal debut in support—a role he would abandon after 46 minutes when Matías Soulé replaced him. Roma created the clearer early chances. Dybala missed a golden opportunity in the opening minutes, shooting centrally when completely unmarked in front of Como's keeper Butez after a Mancini assist and Malen flick. Pellegrini struck the post with a first-time effort from the edge of the area ten minutes later. Malen then headed well but fired into the side netting from a tight angle. Neither side retreated an inch despite a slippery pitch, with both teams applying relentless man-to-man pressing. The first half ended scoreless after an intense display by both teams. The turning point arrived early in the second period. Fabbri showed Malen a direct red card for a late intervention on Kaiki in the 53rd minute. Como pressed their numerical advantage immediately; Perrone wasted a fine chance by shooting over the bar following Diao's run down the flank, and Douvikas's powerful effort struck the post. Gian Piero Gasperini replaced Hermoso with Leonardo Balerdi before the hour mark and later withdrew Molina for Devyne Rensch, prioritising defensive stability over attack. Gollini made decisive saves to deny Nico Paz on two occasions. The match was further disrupted when referee Fabbri suffered a knee problem at the 68th minute; fourth official Sozza took over for the remainder. Como dominated possession thereafter but could not break through Roma's resolute defensive block. Jesus Rodriguez fired wide late on as the hosts pressed for a breakthrough that never came. After seven minutes of added time, the match ended 0–0. Gasperini extended Roma's positive run and stayed within striking distance of the title race.

Roma sporting director Tony D'Amico spoke to journalists before kickoff in the sixth Serie A round at Como, addressing the squad's readiness and injury situation. "We expect a match between two strong sides," D'Amico said. "We haven't had much time to prepare it, but we have months of work behind us. We hope for a standout moment in football." The director confirmed that goalkeeper Mile Svilar and midfielder Bryan Cristante will miss a significant period through injury. "It's a great shame to lose an important player like Mile," D'Amico said. "But also Cristante. It's unfortunate because these are long injuries—they will miss quite a few matches. The squad members have great trust in the club, and everyone who has the opportunity to be on show should see that as motivation and not a burden." On the debut of Lorenzo Pellegrini, D'Amico expressed confidence in the midfielder's contribution going forward. D'Amico stressed that Pellegrini's arrival represented a significant acquisition for Roma. "For us it was a signing," he said. "We found him with his contract expiring—everyone who signed a renewal was among the first signings. Lorenzo has lived through difficult months and worked hard in the summer; for him this is a major motivation. We are convinced he can give a big hand to the group."

Como and Roma meet in a high-quality fixture on 11 October as both sides look to test their ambitions early in the season. Gasperini's Roma face significant absences: Bryan Cristante and Mile Svilar are unavailable, with Marten de Roon and Pierluigi Gollini stepping in. Como manager Cesc Fabregas is without Kean, his backup striker. Pellegrini returns to Roma's lineup after six months out, wearing the captain's armband on the trequarti alongside Paulo Dybala and Donyell Malen. The fixture is early enough in the campaign to offer limited guidance on league position, but Gasperini will use it to gauge the squad's form and competitive level. Roma field a 3-4-2-1: Gollini; Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso; Molina, de Roon, Koné, Wesley; Dybala, Pellegrini; Malen. Substitutes: Vasquez, De Marzi, Balerdi, Ghilardi, Rensch, Lulli, Pisilli, Soulé, Castro, Mora. Como line up in 4-2-3-1: Butez; Couto, Ramon, Chalobah, Valle; Da Cunha, Perrone; Diao, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas.

Roma drew 0–0 at Como in the Serie A lunch fixture on matchday six, holding firm despite Donyell Malen's dismissal midway through the second half. Pierluigi Gollini deputised for the injured Mile Svilar and made several decisive saves, including a low stop on Nico Paz in the second half and an early intervention to deny Paz again. Roma dominated the opening 45 minutes and created several chances—Paulo Dybala fired weakly from close range, Lorenzo Pellegrini struck the post with a long-range effort, and Malen blazed over after being released in the box—but could not convert their superiority. Referee Fabbri issued a yellow to Marten de Roon in the 46th minute for a foul on Kaiki, then dismissed Malen in the 54th for a heavy challenge on the same player that Fabbri judged excessive, despite the contact appearing unintentional. From that point the game shifted decisively: Como pressed for a breakthrough as Roma retreated into defence, but the hosts could not create clear-cut chances to break the deadlock. Douvikas headed wide and fired past the far post; Jesús Rodríguez's late effort missed the mark. Matías Soulé was booked for protesting in the 62nd minute. Gian Piero Gasperini made his substitutions strategically, bringing on Leonardo Balerdi for the injured Mario Hermoso in the 60th minute and later introducing Niccolò Pisilli and Emanuele Lulli as Roma protected their numerical disadvantage. Gasperini restored Lorenzo Pellegrini to the starting lineup after six months out, deploying him as a number ten behind Dybala and Malen. Marten de Roon filled the midfield role vacated by the absent Bryan Cristante, partnering Manu Koné. Wesley and Malen returned from injury for the squad. Arbiter Fabbri had to be replaced by Sozza in the 68th minute after suffering a knee problem. The point extends Roma's unbeaten run but leaves them without a win in open play; the dismissal of Malen proved pivotal in shifting momentum decisively against them after a commanding first half.

Roma drew 1–1 away at Como in Serie A's sixth round, fighting back from a numerical disadvantage after Donyell Malen was sent off for a challenge on Kaiki. The match at the Sinigaglia on Saturday kicked off at 12:30, with Pierluigi Gollini making several decisive saves and Lorenzo Pellegrini striking the post with a shot from the edge of the area. Paulo Dybala had a glaring miss in front of goal after a fine setup by Malen, while Marten de Roon picked up a yellow card in the second half. Niccolò Koné was also cautioned. Roma made two substitutions to manage the deficit in personnel, withdrawing Dybala and Koné for Pisilli and Lulli, then replacing Nahuel Molina with Devyne Rensch. Referee Fabbri was forced to leave the pitch through injury during the second half and was replaced by the fourth official. Roma arrived without Mile Svilar, who is sidelined for a month and expected to return after November's international break, as well as Konstantinos Koulierakis, due to resume training on Monday, and Bryan Cristante. Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini had selection decisions to make before the match, with Emanuele Lulli competing with Molina and Wesley for positions on the flanks, and Pellegrini favoured over Matías Soulé in attack, with Rodrigo Mora deployed deeper. Gasperini has won two matches and lost two against Como across his career, while Como's manager Cesc Fabregas holds the same record against both Gasperini and Roma. The first half saw Como attempt to control possession and apply pressing, with Nico Paz testing Gollini, but Roma gradually raised their tempo and dominated phases of play. Malen's earlier chance saw him beat two defenders before failing to finish. Gollini proved crucial with a timely block on a Paz attempt and an alert clearance against Caqueret. Malen's red card, delivered by Fabbri for the challenge on Kaiki, shifted the match decisively. Despite going down to ten, Roma mounted their most dangerous attacks in the second half: Pellegrini's shot struck the woodwork, Dybala received the ball from Malen's excellent turn but fluffed his finish in front of Butez, and Paz's effort was comfortably saved by Gollini. The point left Gasperini's Roma two points behind Inter. Roma begin a punishing schedule with nine matches across 27 days, and face a super-match against Real Madrid at the Olimpico on Wednesday. Pellegrini inherited the captain's armband from Cristante for this fixture. The match, part of Serie A Enilive, was broadcast exclusively on DAZN.

Roma's loanees made their mark during the international break, with Mohamed Seck delivering a commanding defensive display, Luigi Cherubini scoring for Italy's Under-21s, and Neil El Aynaoui clocking over 240 minutes for Morocco across three matches. Seck, a 2007-born defender, started the full 90 minutes in Foggia's 2-0 victory at Cosenza, keeping a clean sheet and earning praise from local media. The Corriere della Calabria awarded him 6.5, while Foggiacalciomania highlighted an almost flawless performance. He picked up a yellow card in the 28th minute but remained unaffected. Radoslaw Zelezny continued his fine form between the sticks for Perugia, playing all 90 minutes in a 3-1 derby win over Gubbio; he conceded little that was preventable and earned a 6.5 rating for his security in possession and distribution. Federico Nardin also impressed at Pescara, completing the full match in a 1-0 win at Livorno achieved by a late Sardo goal, and has now been called up to Italy's Under-19 squad for friendlies against Scotland on 10 and 13 October. Cherubini made the most impact during the break. After coming off the bench in the 79th minute of Italy U21's 1-0 win in Armenia, he was introduced again at the same stage against Poland on 4 October and scored just seven minutes later to seal a 6-2 victory and confirm Italy's direct qualification to the Under-21 European Championship final tournament. El Aynaoui started all three of Morocco's matches—a 2-0 win over Gabon (90 minutes), a 2-0 victory against Lesotho (67 minutes), and a 1-1 draw with Mali on 4 October (full 90)—demonstrating his standing with the national team. Anass Salah-Eddine also featured for Morocco, starting the full 90 minutes at left-back in the Mali friendly. Marash Kumbulla entered Albania's 3-0 Nations League win over San Marino at half-time and played the full second half. Artem Dovbyk, on loan at Bologna, skipped his Ukraine convocation to continue recovering from a muscular problem affecting his hamstring and has already resumed full training with the Bolognese squad ahead of the league's resumption.

Roma have made a strong start to the 2026-27 season with 13 points from five matches, matching Inter and Lazio at the top of Serie A but ahead on goal difference. A second-half goal by Lautaro in a direct clash with Inter prevented a perfect record, but the squad's overall level remains high. The arrival of summer players has been central to the club's early form. Nahuel Molina is still building fitness but establishing himself in the team, while Rodrigo Mora has made an immediate impact with a goal already on his account. Leonardo Balerdi has already won over the supporters and claimed a starting berth, and Konstantinos Koulierakis, Marten de Roon and Santiago Castro are all expected to become important resources as the fixture list intensifies through October and November, though some have yet to feature heavily. The squad recruitment was balanced by significant outgoings managed by director Tony D'Amico, which allowed Roma to fund their incomings. With the first international break now reached, a review of Roma's players still on loan across Europe becomes timely. Neil El Aynaoui and other loan-out players carry combined recall obligations of €95 million, making their performances and development over the coming months a matter of considerable financial consequence for the club.

Roma's players on loan across Europe experienced a mixed week of midweek and league fixtures. Neil El Aynaoui performed well for RB Leipzig despite a 2–0 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, completing 31 of 34 passes and winning 8 of 14 duels while receiving a yellow card in the 74th minute. His statistical rating reached 7.2, among Leipzig's best performances. Anass Salah-Eddine made a convincing debut for Panathinaikos in a Greek Cup tie against Kifisia, playing all 90 minutes on the left flank in a 2–0 victory. FotMob rated him 7.3 for a clean display as Panathinaikos dominated with 71 per cent possession in the first half. By contrast, Angeliño's week at Deportivo La Coruña ended disastrously: he was sent off for a challenge on Miguel Sierra in the 59th minute of a midweek fixture against Sevilla—initially given a yellow card before the VAR review led to a direct red—leaving his side to lose 1–0 already down in the scoreline. Statistical ratings gave him just 5.7, and Deportivo manager Hidalgo noted how the expulsion undermined the team's comeback effort. Angeliño subsequently missed the following 1–1 draw against Betis through suspension. Mohamed Seck at Foggia produced sharply contrasting displays within days. Playing 90 minutes in a goalless midweek draw against Savoia, he was identified as Foggia's best performer, winning nearly every duel against opposing attackers. Coach Auteri retained him for the next match against Inter U23, but this time his form dipped noticeably. Foggia lost 2–1, and a careless passing error by Seck enabled the decisive goal from Fumagalli. Foggiacalciomania rated him 5.5, noting good physical condition but a costly mistake. The week illustrated the growth trajectory of a defender aged just 20, with evident talent and physicality that must be coupled with fewer lapses in concentration. Elsewhere, Federico Nardin at Pescara played the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 midweek draw against Gubbio, earning ratings of 6 and 6.9 for personality and reliability despite some refinements needed, but sat out the subsequent 1–0 win at Vado. Filippo Reale completed 90 minutes for Carrarese in a 1–0 home defeat to Benevento, earning 6 and 6.7 ratings for an orderly display, while Luigi Cherubini entered at the 77th minute for Benevento and struck the post with a close chance in the 83rd. Radoslaw Zelezny, Perugia's goalkeeper, conceded five goals across two matches but received ratings of 6 in both a 3–0 home loss to Spezia and a 2–0 away defeat at Grosseto, with no clear responsibility on most goals. Robinio Vaz at Hull City entered off the bench in the 78th minute during a 2–1 loss at Newcastle after more than ten minutes without notable incident, marking his second consecutive Premier League appearance. Marash Kumbulla remained unused at Rayo Vallecano despite being named in squads for a 2–1 win against Espanyol and a 1–1 draw at Osasuna. Jan Ziolkowski has not returned to action for Monza, continuing recovery from plantar fasciitis. Artem Dovbyk spent another week without playing time at Bologna.